Final Livestock Ship Departs New Zealand as Export Ban Comes Into Force

A herd of cows make their way down the race to the milking shed at a dairy farm in Morrinsville, New Zealand, on April 18, 2012. Sandra Mu/Getty Images

The last consignment of New Zealand’s livestock departed the port of New Plymouth on Friday as the government’s ban on livestock exports by sea went into effect for animal welfare reasons.

Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor said that New Zealand’s exports of live animals by sea had ceased after a two-year transition period ended.

“Our position on the map means that the journey to northern hemisphere markets will always be a long one, and this brings unavoidable animal welfare challenges,” O'Connor said in a statement.

The impact of the ban on export flow is expected to be minimal, given that live exports by sea have only accounted for about 0.32 percent of New Zealand’s primary sector export revenue since 2015, the minister stated.

“Whilst we acknowledge the economic benefits for some farmers, we also have to protect the international reputation of our annual $53 billion dollar primary export industry,” O'Connor said.

“We are in step with our like-minded partners on the importance of animal welfare. Australia has moved to phase-out live export of sheep, and animal welfare standards are bedded into our FTAs with the UK and the EU,” he added.

However, Mark Willis, CEO of Live Export New Zealand, told RNZ that the government’s export ban had left many farmers losing their income and “lots of companies” winding down.

“Their core business has disappeared, some are heading to Australia to work there because the trade still exists there, and others have just found other work,” Willis told the news outlet on April 14.

New Zealand announced a ban on the export of live animals by sea in 2021 with a two-year wind-down period to allow farmers time to adjust their supply chains and move to different business models.

The government passed a bill to end such exports last September, citing the need to protect the country’s reputation for world-leading animal welfare standards as consumers become more ethically aware of how livestock are treated. Exports of livestock by sea will stop on April 30.

Trade Minister Damien O’Connor speaking at the government's 'Fit for a Better World' launch in Auckland, New Zealand on July 7, 2020. Dave Rowland/Getty Images

In a statement last year, O'Connor said that New Zealand’s remoteness means animals are at sea for extended periods, which increases their susceptibility to heat stress and other welfare-related risks.

“Those involved in the trade have made improvements over recent years, but despite any regulatory measures we could put in place, the voyage times and the journey through the tropics to the northern hemisphere markets will always impose challenges,” he said.

The minister said he wasn’t worried about offending China, New Zealand’s largest trading partner and a big purchaser of live cattle.

“It’s not about China. It’s about animal welfare,” O’Connor told reporters. “We have a mature relationship with them, and I’m sure they understand our position.”

The ban does not affect live animals that are transported by air, such as race horses.

In 2021, New Zealand temporarily suspended such exports after a ship carrying 5,800 cattle bound for China sank in stormy weather near Japan, killing more than 40 crew members and the animals. O'Connor said the government had already begun a review of live exports in 2019.

Animal rights group SAFE, which has long sought a ban, welcomed the news. SAFE CEO Debra Ashton said animals would no longer suffer in countries with lower welfare standards. Still, Ashton said SAFE was worried that hundreds of thousands of cows could still be exported by sea over the next two years and that air exports of animals like baby chickens and eels would continue.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.